


Stuck on you

by loulougoingsolo



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Bathrooms, Feelings, Fluff, Handcuffs, Intimacy, Love, M/M, Partial Nudity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-10
Updated: 2017-03-10
Packaged: 2018-10-02 08:56:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10214015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loulougoingsolo/pseuds/loulougoingsolo
Summary: Rhett and Link end up handcuffed at their studio without the key. They have no choice but to spend the night together and face their inner feelings for each other.This is my submission to the first ever Tropetastic Tuesday challenge on Tumblr. The prompt given was "Handcuffed Together Without The Key", in less than 2000 words.





	

_”Link, you ever been handcuffed before?”_

_Link kept hearing the question in his head, over and over again. He blushed at the thought of how he had reacted to that fairly innocent question on that day’s episode. He didn’t mean anything by it, he really hadn’t been cuffed before. And after today’s episode, he really didn’t feel like going back to that again. It was far too restricting to not be able to move freely. It’s not my cup of tea, he thought, shoving the cuffs on the top shelf of their storage room._

* * *

### Almost a thousand mythical mornings later…

”Hey, guys, you wanna save these?” Chase was dangling a pair of vaguely familiar handcuffs from ages ago in his hand. He was cleaning the prop closet at the studio to make room for the ever-growing pile of different props.

”We still have those?” Rhett turned his chair around to look at Link. ”Maybe we should use those again! Hey, Link, do you still have the key somewhere?”

”Umm, I might have it in my nicknack drawer, I’ll check that later. But I’m not sure about using those again. I mean, we’ve used them once already.”

Link wasn’t into the idea. The problem was, back then it had all been an innocent game, but over the past months, with all the projects involving the two of them, he was having trouble being around Rhett without thinking about things he should not have been thinking when his best friend was in question. Sure, his love for Rhett had been platonic at one time, but all the closeness and sharing the memories of their years together had made him feel something beyond brotherly love. Even as silly a thing as handcuffs made him picture himself and Rhett in compromising situations. In bed. Cuffed. No, don’t go there!

”Oh, come on, Link! That was ages ago, besides, I liked being a sheriff. I wonder if the star is still around somewhere!”

How was Link supposed to be able to refuse anything from that man who acted like a 10-year-old kid despite his impressive stature? Rhett had already gotten up from his chair and walked to Link’s desk in order to find the key. He opened the bottom drawer, reaching his best paleontologist mode, all ready for a dig…

”Dude, what the hell?”

”You never know what might come in handy. That drawer is perfectly organized, I have a system.” Link was getting defensive. So, he had a lot of nicknacks, but it didn’t mean that he couldn’t find what he was looking for. ”Hold on, I know where that key is, I’ll just finish this email first.” Link heard a muffled sigh from Rhett’s direction, but he really needed to get that email out of the way, so he turned back to look at his screen. Where was he now…

”Click. Click.”

”What the…?” Link turned to look at his left wrist, just in time to see Rhett locking the other end of the hand-cuffs on his own wrist. A wide grin lit up Rhett’s face, making it really hard for Link to focus on the fact that he had just been handcuffed to his best friend.

”I’m just making sure you won’t forget to find that key.” Rhett was still grinning like an idiot, but was there something else in his eyes apart from that gotcha-sucker laughter? Fuck, I’m imagining things…

”Ok, Rhett. Did it ever occur to you, that I may not even have the key anymore?” Link heard a quiet alarm in the back of his head. He did not want to be cuffed to this man! Or was it that he wanted it a little bit too much? Just find the key, and it’ll be all over…

Link bent down to search the drawer, pulling Rhett down with him in a not-so-gentle manner. He was annoyed, but that didn’t quite manage to hide the fact that he was so close to Rhett he could smell his cologne. It was a nice, earthy scent, and it felt intoxicating. This was not good. Not good at all…

* * *

Twenty minutes later, they were still cuffed to each other. The contents of Link’s entire desk were scattered around them, and his perfect organisational system was lost for good.

”Great, now what are we supposed to do? We are at the office, the crew’s gone for the weekend, and we’re stuck together. Why on earth would you do this?” Link was slowly starting to panic. Rhett had been constantly brushing his arm against his while they were searching for the key, and he was starting to tingle all over.

“Just calm down, man! It’s not like we’re in jail. There are loads of tools around the studio, we’ll just break the chain and we’re free to go home.”

“Sounds like another great idea, Rhett. Remember how Mike told you he was gonna take the tool bag home with him to build a ramp for skateboarding?”

Rhett’s face was starting to show signs of concern, which did not make Link feel any better about the situation. There was no way they would get off from these cuffs without assistance, and there was no one to ask for help. Not to mention it was Friday night and the wives were on a weekend trip with the kids. Crap!

“Alright, Rhett, looks like it’s you and me for now. The conjoined twins return. You do realize we are not able to leave the studio like this?”

“Yeah, sorry man, let’s just make the most of the situation. There’s some food in the kitchen, and I think Alex forgot his beers in the fridge yesterday. I’m too hungry and too tired to figure this out, let’s just chill for tonight, ok?” Rhett left for the kitchen, pulling Link with him. Link had no choice but to follow his friend.

* * *

“You know, this isn’t that bad, when was the last time we spent a Friday night together, just the two of us?” It had turned out that Alex had actually forgotten an entire keg of beer in the back of the fridge. There was a post-it on it saying “Alex – Hands off” but this was an emergency, so they really had no choice but to open it. If Link was still on track, Rhett had chucked about three pints so far, while Link was still on his second. They were sitting on their office couch, with the keg on the coffee table in front of them. A half empty bag of Doritos was between them, and with the alcohol buzzing in their veins, it really wasn’t that bad. Link was a lot more relaxed than earlier, but he was getting a little sleepy.

“Rhett, I hope you don’t mind, but I’m taking my shoes off. I’ve been wearing them all day, so sorry, buddy, but my feet might stink a little.” Link pulled his shoes off and without thinking for a moment about it, curled on the couch leaning against Rhett’s shoulder. “Don’t let me fall asleep, man, I’m just gonna close my eyes for a bit.” It took exactly 35 seconds before he was fast asleep.

* * *

Rhett felt Link’s warm body against his own. He was long over trying to deny his inner feelings for his friend, and it felt nice having him so close. Link was so beautiful, sleeping with his mouth just a little open. Rhett enjoyed watching him sleep – it was the only time he could stare at Link without disturbances, and since Link hardly ever stopped moving, it was also wonderful to see him so relaxed and calm. Rhett knew he should have woken him up, but he couldn’t bear to disturb Link’s sleep. Instead, he just lifted his free arm and gently removed Link’s glasses, stopping to caress his cheek for a short moment.

“I love you, Link”, Rhett whispered and placed a small kiss in Link’s hair. He reached for the remote controlling the lights and turned them off. Then he tried to make himself comfortable enough to fall asleep. When he finally drifted away, the last thing in his mind was Link. As every night for the past 30 years…

* * *

“What happened?!”

Link woke up after getting startled by something in his dream. For a second, he was unable to remember where he was. It was dark, and he could hear a muffled sound like a cat purring next to his ear. When he recognized Rhett’s snoring and realized they had been holding hands while sleeping, he remembered everything. He carefully removed his hand from Rhett’s warm and comforting grasp, and pushed his friend’s side with his elbow. “Rhett. Rhett. Hey, Rhett, wake up!”

“Link? What is it, why did you wake me up?”

“Um, I don’t know how to say this, but I really need to use the bathroom. You need to come with me.”

* * *

The lights in the bathroom seemed harsh after the comforting darkness of their office. Link was staring at the toilet seat with clear confusion in his eyes. “Go on, Link, I really want to get this over with.” Rhett was standing right beside Link, trying hard to look anywhere else. Sure, they’d seen each other naked a million times over the years, but this was a little too intimate for Rhett. He’d done his best to avoid thinking about Link’s body for so many years now, but he had not been able to control his dreams. Dreams, in which they had been a lot closer than this. And a lot more naked.

“Rhett…I need both of my hands to do this. My jeans are buttoned up.”

* * *

All the relaxation was gone from Link’s body. The thought of Rhett’s hand near his crotch was tantalizing. And hot. He was turned on, longing to touch the man he loved. Too bad there was no way to escape the situation at this point. He felt Rhett resist the movement and then give in, when he pulled their hands closer to his fly. His own hands were trembling when he reached for the first button. And he was hard as a rock. Fuck.

* * *

Rhett felt Link yanking his hand trying to unbutton his jeans. The heat from Link’s body was radiating towards Rhett and at that moment all blood from his head rushed down to his crotch. He felt something soft and velvety lightly touch his hand and he quickly pulled their cuffed hands away.

“Shit. Sorry.”

Rhett turned as far away from Link as he possibly could, waiting to hear some signs of success on the task at hand. Nothing happened. Just silence.

“Oh god. I’m so sorry man, I can’t do this.” Link’s voice was strained and so quiet Rhett could barely hear him. The next words were practically whispered, but they clanged loudly in Rhett’s ears.

“I’m too turned on to pee. I love you, Rhett, but I want you too much.”

* * *

Rhett’s heart skipped a beat. He knew he had heard the words correctly. There they were, two grown men, standing in a shabby bathroom, in the middle of the night, after knowing each other for over thirty years. They’d spent the past...what, ten hours? joined together, forced to get into each other’s private spaces. Rhett had loved Link for ages, unable to express his feelings for this amazing man. He’d spent hours, days even, thinking about how to tell Link just how much he loved him, hoping and praying for more than what he had been given. And now, under the fluorescent lights of this bathroom, next to a toilet seat, he realized that Link had shared his feelings all along. They had just needed a little help from faith to finally admit the truth. Slowly, Rhett reached his arm to caress Link’s crotch. He took a deep breath, turned to look at Link and finally spoke firmly, without hesitation:

“Link, it’s ok. I can help you with that.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed reading this! I really struggled to keep this short enough for the challenge when I wanted to write so much more about their feelings. It all ended somewhere between complete fluff and an awkward moment in the bathroom. I'm sorry about that, I let them drink too much beer and then I had no choice but to let someone use the bathroom. I know, eww. Sorry, but I had fun with this. I'm anxiously waiting for what next week's trope will be :)


End file.
